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On the Road: Ultimate Alaska North — Arctic Landscapes, Regal Denali and Kenai Fjords National Park |
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Program Number: |
17292RJ |
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| Start
and End Dates: |
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| Duration: |
11 nights |
| Location: |
Fairbanks, Alaska
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| Price starting at: |
$4,895.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city |
| Program Type:
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On the Road; National Parks
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| Meals: |
30;
11 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 9 Dinners |
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| Meal
Options: |
Vegetarian |
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Fly, bus, train and sail 1,100 miles through the Last Frontier. Fly to Barrow for a look at how Inupiat Eskimos live off land and sea and to celebrate the summer solstice. Watch the sun wheel around the sky, never setting below the horizon. Meet research scientists, take a field trip to see muskoxen, caribou and reindeer at the University of Alaska Fairbanks large animal research center and stand underneath the Alaska Pipeline. Spend two nights at the end of the road deep in the heart of Denali National Park, then take the Alaska Railroad to Seward’s Alaska SeaLife Center, where researchers share their work rehabilitating the ecosystem after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Highlights
• In Denali scout for moose, Dall sheep, wolves, bears and more.
• Ride the rails to the “land of ice” and study the ice ages, volcanic forces and rising and falling sea levels.
• Watch for whales, otters and puffins from a ship in Kenai Fjords National Park.
Activity Particulars
Walk short distances, uneven terrain. Optional hikes. Standing about one hour. Sailing on the open ocean during a four-hour field trip in Seward.
Date Specific Information
6-20-2013
Celebrate Summer Solstice with 24 hours of daylight on the shore of the Arctic Ocean in Barrow, the northernmost community in the United States.
Itinerary Summary
Arrival Fairbanks, 2 nights; fly to Barrow, 1 night; fly to Fairbanks, 1 night; train and coach to Denali National Park, 3 nights; coach to Anchorage, 1 night; train to Seward, 2 nights; departure.
Coordinated by Denakkanaaga.
Barrow
Barrow is the northernmost city in the U.S. and one of the northernmost in the world — 4,212 hearty souls, the majority of them Inupiat Eskimos, live here, 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle. In mid-November, the sun sets on Barrow and does not rise above the horizon again for 65 days. The city is home to a National Weather Service Office.
Fairbanks
The indigenous Athabaskan tribe had fished in the local area for centuries before it was settled in 1903 as a trading post for riverboats and gold prospectors. Fairbanks today is an important player in interior Alaska’s oil fields and pipelines.
Denali National Park
Established in 1917, this 6 million-acre wilderness is home to 20,320 foot Mount McKinley, and wildlife such as moose, caribou, Dall sheep and grizzly bear, and is considered one of the most intact sub-arctic ecosystems in the world.
Anchorage
Situated between boreal forest, tundra, temperate rainforest and a marine environment, Anchorage was established when the Alaska Railroad was constructed to connect the interior with the coast. The area is home to almost half the state’s population.
Seward
Situated at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula, Seward is one of Alaska’s oldest and most picturesque communities. Founded in 1903, it is named for William H. Seward, the Secretary of State who negotiated the purchase of Alaska (originally derided as “Seward’s Folly”). Seward serves as a gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.
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Accommodations
Fairbanks: Hotel. Barrow: College dorm rooms. Denali: Cabin and backcountry lodge. Anchorage and Seward: Hotel.
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